Tire building machine



June 11, 1935. w. J, BRETH ET AL 2,004,886

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR;

June 11, 1935. w J BRETH ET AL 2,004,886

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORF mza m BY 777M :2. 4.

M ATTOR s June 11, 1935. w. J. BRETH ET AL TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 w& v. m om mx a l VENTOR;

June 11, 1935. w J B E ET AL 2,004,886

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE v Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR;

W4 ma z MATTOR Y5 June 11, 1935. w J BRETH ET AL TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 4, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 iiT INVENTOR? E v m w ATTOR EYS Patented June 11, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Original application September 4, 1931, Serial N 0. 561,096. Divided and this application March :29, 1933, Serial No. 663,334

8 Claims.

This invention relates to tire building niachines, and more particularly to machines of the drum type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a tire building machine of such new and improved construction that tire casings can be built thereon more economically and in a shorter time than has been heretofore possible.

Another object is to provide a tire building machine wherein the elements used in building up the tire carcass may be easily and accurately fed to the tire building drum with am-inimu-m of manual labor.

Another object is to provide a tire building machine with improved. means for feeding the squeegee stock that is positioned between the fabric plies of the tire carcass to the assembly drum.

With the above and other objects in view, which will be apparent from the detailed following description, the present invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

In the drawings which illustrate a suitable-embodiment of the tire building machine -of the present invention,

Figure l is a plan View of the complete tire building machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. '1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear end elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is anenlarged section taken "throng-tithe tire building drum showing a tire carcass in the process of assembly thereon;

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the tire building machine, portions of the same being broken-away and shown in section to *moreclearly illustrate the cooperative parts of the machine;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the forward end of the machine taken substantially as looking in the direction of the arrows 'l'l shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 8-3 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a forward endelevationof the forward lower portion of the tire building machine taken in the direction of the arrows 3-d of Fig.2;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the stitching ap paratus for the tire building machine, portions of the same being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 11 is a section taken substantially on the line H-H of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section through the stitching apparatus and tire building drum showing the side stitchers in operative position;

Fig. 1'3 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line l-3l3 of Fig. 12.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the rotatable drum 9 on which the tire carcass is constructed may be of any suitable type and is mounted for rotation in either irection on a suitable standard 2.

A suitable frame 3 positioned forwardly of and in spaced relation to the drum l supports the feeding means for "the fabric plies that go to make up the body of the tire carcass. The ply feeding apparatus is more clearly described in our copending application Serial No. 561,096, filed September 4, 1931, of which this application is a division, and comprises, in general, a fiat table '4 having a pair of brackets '5 secured to the under side thereof near one end. These brackets 5 carry a support rod 6 which extends therethrough and through the side pieces of the supporting frame 3. A balancing weight I2 is secured to the under side of the table at its forward end, which tends to maintain the table in its vertical position. The ply feeding apparatus, when in use, :is pivoted to the horizontal position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2. Transversely extending rollers 13 and I l .are secured to opposite ends of the ply feeding device, over which an endless apron i5 is arranged to operate. An endless apron i5 is so arranged that its upper side lies "flat on the table 4, and its lower side passes over the support .rod 6 .and'around the rollers 13 and M.

'The apron i5 is operated by the tire building drum 1 through the medium of a driving roll #9 which is secured to the table 4 by suitable brack ets 2 8. The driving roll it is mounted forwardly of the rearmost roller 43 to contact with the lower side of the apron i5, and is arranged to create tension in the apron. In order to provide slipless driving contact between the driving roll ["9 and the apron, :and the driving roll and the drum -I or the tire carcass partially assembled thereon, the roll 19 is preferably formed with a surface-covering of rubber or some suitable material that will propel the apron without slippage.

:In operation, the operator pivots the table 4 to=itshorizontalposition, as shown in dotted outline in Figs. 1 and '2, so that the drive roll l9 will bear against the drum I or the tire carcass partially formed thereon. The operator then causes the drum to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, which causes the upper side of the feed apron l5 to travel toward the drum and he then places the fabric plies to be applied on the apron l5 which moves the same toward the drum the peripheral rate of the drum being substantially the same as the rate of travel of the apron I5. The fabric ply being.

fed to the drum, is guidedinto a centered position on the apron l5 by means of adjustable side guides 23 carried by the table 4.

It is very essential in building tire carcasses that the fabric plies be properly centered when they are applied to the tire carcass. This is assured in the device described because the center lines of the ply feed apron l5 and drum I are 7 arranged coincident with each other, the side guides 23 being equally spaced from the center line of the apron I5.

In the construction of tire carcasses, it is frequently the practice to position squeegee strips of suitable rubber stock between the plies of fabric, and it is one of the purposes of the present invention to provide suitable and convenient means for feeding the squeegee stock to the building drum I. v In the present invention a suitable framework 2| is stationed adjacent the rear side of the tire building drum I, and on this framework the rolls of the squeegee stock 29 and rolls of the empty chafer strip 30, together with the attendant feeding mechanism are mounted.

The rubber squeegee stock 29 is wound up in rolls A with a separator or liner 3| interposed between each layer to prevent the individual layers from sticking together.

The roll A of the squeegee stock, as shown in Fig. 6, is mounted on a rotatable mandrel 32 supported by the upper side of the supporting framework 2i. The mandrel is cross-shaped in cross-section, and one end is circular and rotatably mounted in spaced bearings 33. The squeegee stock 29 and liner 3| pass underneath spaced guide rollers 34 and over a relatively large drive cylinder 35 which is movable toward and away from the tire building drum, and the empty liner 3| is led back toward the supply roll A andis wound around a suitable mandrel 3B interposed between the spaced guide rollers 34 in such a manner as will be later apparent, that the squeegee stock 29 and iiner 3| moving toward the drum passes over and is in engagement with the. roll B of the liner material 3| in order to cause the empty liner to be wound on the mandrel 36.

The movable feed cylinder 35 is formed with a knurled surface and is rotatably mounted and held against edgewise movement on a shaft 37 which is carried at the forward end of a pair of spaced guide bars 38. These guide bars are guided for longitudinal movement in spaced guide pieces 39 mounted on the framework 2| and are provided with rack surfaces which are in mesh engagement with suitable gears 39a that are rigidly mounted on a rotatable shaft 40. The shaft 40 is rotatably mounted in spaced upstanding brackets secured to the supporting flange, and one end is provided with the counterweight 42 which is arranged to be swung upwardly and over toward the rear and away from the drive cylinder 35 in order to cause the gears 39a on the shaft 4-0, through the medium of the rack guide bars 38, to move the cylinder 35 toward the assembly drum until the empty liner 3| passing therearound abuts against the assembly drum I, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 6. When the drum I is rotated in a clockwise direction, it drives the cylinder 35 which, by reason of the empty liner 3| passing thereover, causes the stock to be unwoundfrom the supply roll A and the empty liner 3| to be wound around the roll B.

. The operator merely separates the squeegee stock 29 from the liner 3| adjacent the drum and positions the same on the carcass being built on the drum, and then starts the drum to rotate in a clockwise direction, thus causing the squeegee stock to be fed to the drum in a very eificient manner in the proper centered position. It is obvious that the application of the squeegee stock in this manner to the tire carcass eliminates the slow and awkward application of the stock by hand.

Sufficient pressure is created between the drum and cylinder 35 to cause positive driving of the roll by the weight 42 and inadvertent lessening of this pressure is preventedby a lock arrangement. This is provided for by a sleeve 43 freely mounted on the shaft 40 which is provided with forwardly extending pawls 44 that are arranged to engage with the rack teeth formed on the guide bars 38 and prevent inadverent rearward movement of the cylinder 35.

When a sufficient quantity of the squeegee stock 29 is applied to the carcass being built on the roll I, the operator merely stops the machine and tears off the stock to the required length, and then releases the pawls 44 and moves the weight 42 in a forward direction to causes the cylinder 35 to move rearwardly-to the position shown in Fig. 6.

A slight drag is exerted on the mandrel shaft 32 by means of a strap 32a that engages the shaft 32 and acts as a brake to prevent too much freedom of'rotation of the roll A of stock.

Suitable means is also provided for feeding the chafer strips 30 to the tire building drum I in their proper centered position without the necessity of the operator having to apply these chafer strips by hand. As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 9, the chafer strips are wound upon spaced supply drums 45 with a liner 46 interposed between each layer to prevent the chafer strips I from sticking together. The supply drums are mounted in spaced relation on a suitable shaft 41 carried by the framework 2|, and are so arranged that the chafer strips may be fed to the edges of the tire carcass being assembled on the drum in their proper position. The chafer strip 36 and liner 40 are led over a guide bar 48 mounted on the framework above the axis of the drum shaft 47, and the chafer. strips are separated from the separators 46 substantially at this point and are then led over a suitable roller 49 and thence through a pair of spaced bars 50 positioned below the feed roll 35. The bars 50 are adjustable toward each other and are arranged to exert a slight friction on the chafer strips 30.

The liner 46 for the chafer strips passes downwardly and around a pair of rolls 5! and back to a suitable mandrel 52, where the same may be wound up during the application of the chafer strips to the tire carcass. The mandrel 52 is positively driven by the tire building drum This is accomplished by drive rolls 53 that may be moved into and out of engagement with the tire building drum or the carcass being as aooasse sembled thereon. The drive rolls 53 are mounted upon a shaft 54 carried by suitable arms 55 that are pivoted to a forward extension Zia of the supporting framework. The shaft 54 for the drive rolls 53 is provided, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, with a sprocket 56 that drives a sprocket 51 through the medium of a suitable link chain 58. The sprocket 5'! is mounted on a shaft 56a that carries a gear 59 which meshes with a gear 60 mounted on the shaft 5! that supports one of the rolls 55 over which the liner 46 passes. The shaft 6| is also provided with a sprocket 52 and through the medium of a link chain '63 drives a corresponding sprocket 64 mounted on a sleeve 64a rotatably carried by the mandrel 52. The sleeve 64a is provided with a collar 64b having frictional material on its surface that is resiliently engageable with a collar 52a rigidly secured to the mandrel 52. The collar 54b is slidable 0n the sleeve 64a and is yieldingly held against the collar 52a by means of a compression spring 640 in order to permit a slipping driving connection between the collars 52a and 64b to compensate for the increased linear speed of the liner 45 as it is wound on the mandrel 52.

It is thus obvious that when the building drum 6 is rotated in a clockwise direction the mechanism just described will cause the mandrel 52 to rotate in a clockwise direction and roll up the liner 46 which incidentally causes the liner and chafer strip to unwind from the supply drum 45.

A bell crank lever 65 is mounted on the framework 2! and is provided with a link 66 which connects with a crank arm 51. formed on the shaft 68 which rigidly supports the arms 55. By moving the lever 65 the drive rolls 53 may be moved into and out of engagement with the tire building drum.

In operation, the operator moves the drive roll 53 into engagement with the drum l which is rotating in a clockwise direction, and this causes the chafer strips to be unwound from the supply drums 45. The operator then merely pulls the chafer strips between the space bars 53 and applies the same to the carcass being assembledo'n the drum I. The rotation of the drum l causes the chafer strips 30 to position themselves in their proper position on the tire carcass, and when 'a sufiicient length of the chafer strips 30 has been applied to the carcass the operator severs the strips forwardly of the space bars 50 and releases the feed roll 53 from engagement with the tire building drum by actuating the lever 65. It is thus seen that the chafer strips may be supplied in roll form, and that they can be very easily applied to the tire carcass being assembled without the necessity of the operator having to turn around and select chafer strips of predetermined length from the rack which is customarily positioned near the tire building drum.

The space'bars 56 extend the entire width of the machine and are arranged with adjustable guides 69 thereon for guiding the chafer strips to their proper position.

The apparatus of the present invention also contemplates improved means for stitching the fabric plies'and the squeegee stock, and for stitching thec'hafer and flipper strips applied to the edges of the tire carcass. This stitching mechanism forms a part of co-pending application Serial No. 663,335, filed March 29, 1933, which is also a division of co-pending' application Serial No. 561,"096,'fi1edSeptember 4, 1931,-and, as shown in Figsf'fia'nd 10-to 1'3,inclusive, iscarried by-a frame 19 which is hinged on a shaft II that extends between the upstanding brackets 4|.

The frame member 10 carries the stitchers for stitching the squeegee stock and fabric plies and also the side stitchers for stitching the chafer strips, bead flippers and edge portions of the fabric plies.

The first mentioned stitohers comprise, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a plurality of thin metal disks E 2 each being formed with a plurality of peripheral teeth 53. These stitcher disks are mounted for free movement on a'rod 14 carried by the side arms i 5 of a bracket 16 secured to the free end of the frame member M. The supporting rod is is considerably smaller in diameter than the openings on the disks 12 through which it passes. The 'disks are also positioned adjacent each other and are arranged to have a slight lat-'- eral movement. I 1 I The shaft 7! to which the frame member is rigidly secured has its one end provided with-a perpendicular arm 1'! to which a counterweight T3 is secured. The counterweight 18 is arranged to normally hold the frame member 10 in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted outline in Fig. 6. p

After a fabric ply or strip of sque'egee stock is applied to the tire carcassbeing 'constructed, the machine operator grasps the handles 19 at the free end of the frame member 10. and moves the same downwardly so that the stitcher disks contact with the partially built tire carcass mounted on the rotating drum I. The operator exerts downward pressure on the handles 79 so 'as to produce stitching pressure on the fabric plyo'r squeegee stock being stitched, which causes the stitcher disks 72 to rotate on the supporting rod In the ply stitching "device, the individual narrow disks 12 have full freedom of movement relativeto'eaoh other and do not move about a fixed axis but move about an eccentrically positioned axis. This action, together with the interrupted circumferential surfaces of the stitcher disks 12, prevents the banking up of the material being stitched in advance of the stitchingcontact. The regularly spaced teeth 13 on the individual stitcher discs 12 tend to smooth out the irregularities in the material being stitched with the result that the fabric plies or strips of squeegeestock are very evenly stitched to the underlying material without the formation of objectionable folds or creases in the fabric plies or squeegee stock.

The spaced stitchers for the chafer strips, flip"- pers and edges of the fabric plies are also mounted on the frame member "I0. I These stitchers are in the formof circular plates 89 carried by sleeves 8i mounted on a shaft 82 which is rigidly secured to a bracket 83. The bracket 83 is hingedly mounted on a bar 34 carried by the frame member '55. The plates 60, through the bracket '83, are normally held in inoperative position relative to the frame I6 by means of a latch 85 pivoted to the frame member 70. Vihen the latch 85 is released the bracket 83 can be pivoted to its operti've position, as shown inFig. 12, and it is held in this position by a stop bar 86 also pivoted to the frame member it which is arranged toengage the bracket 83, as shown. The stop bar "86 is pivoted to a link 81 which is in turn connected with a. bell crank 88 hinged to the member It. A spring 89 is connected with the bell crank 88 to normally hold the stop bar 86 in its inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 11. An actuating'lever 90 is pivoted to the member 16 adjacentone of the handles 19, where it can beeasily grasped by the operators hand, and this lever is connected to the bell crank 88 through a link 9|.

, The link 81-is formed with a projecting pin 92 which is in engagement with the latch 85. In order to bring the side stitchers into operative position, the operator swings the frame member ID forwardly and downwardly and then moves the actuating lever toward the adjacent handle 'I9, which through the linkage mechanism, releases the latch 85, allowing the bracket 83 to swing downwardly, as shown in Fig. 12.

The stitcher plates 80 are circular in shape and have a plane inner surface 93, and each plate is formed with an annular central portion 94 that telescopes in spaced relation with the sleeve 8|, .andthe sleeve has a flange 95 which has a relatively close sliding fit with the central portion 94. The annular portion 94 is formed at its open endwith a removable inwardly2 extending radial collar, 96 that has a rotatable and sliding fit with the sleeve8l, and a compression spring 91 is interposedibetween this collar 98 and the flange 95 of the sleeve 8|. The spring normally holds the plate 89 inwardly in abutting engagement with a stop collar 98 rigidly secured to the sleeve 8 I.

Each plate 88 is mounted for free rotation on the shaft 82 and is provided with an anti-friction bearing 99 at its outer end which has slidable engagement with the shaft 82, as shown in Fig. 10. In theoperation of the side stitching device just described, the operator pivots the frame member") downwardly and releases the latch 85, thus moving the stop bar 86 into abutting en gagement with the bracket 83. The operator then exerts downward pressure on the handles 98 to produce stitching pressure against the carcass being assembled on the drum I. The initialengagement of the stitclier plates 80 with the carcass C on the drum l, as indicated in Fig. 13, occurs near the, edges of the carcass, but in 'the. horizontal portion, as shown by the dotted lines. The operator gradually increases the stitching pressure and this, by reason of the fact that the stitchers 80 are slidably and rotatably mounted on the shaft 82, causes the stitchers 80 to gradually move outwardly, then downwardly along the vertical portions of the carcass, as shown in solid outline, and thence outwardly to the extreme edges of the carcass. The circum- 'ferential edge and plane surface 93 of the stitchers 80 thus quickly and efficiently stitch the edges of the carcass to provide the desired contacting relation between the overlapping plies, chafer strips and bead flippers.

The side stitching device just described presents many advantages which are not obtainable in devices known heretofore, since it allows both edges of the carcass to be stitched simultaneously, and since it permits a more positive pressure to be exerted against the carcass being constructed on the drum. The device just described also eliminates the so-called hand stitchers and saves the time of skilled operators, with a resultant saving in labor cost.

The tire building machine of the present invention presents many advantageous characteristics which tend toward an accurately constructed product, a saving in labor costs, and the elimination ofhand tools.

In the tire building machine described, the stock employed is conveniently arranged for easy, rapid and extremely efiicient application to the carcasses being built, with the result that the finished products will be uniformly constructed.

Furthermore, it is to be understood thatthe particular forms of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,

are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is: I

1. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire assembly drum, means for feeding squeegee stock to a partially built tire carried by said drum, said means comprising a rotatably rncunt- I ed cylinder positioned adjacent and parallel to said drum, a supply roll of squeegee stock having a liner interposed between adjacent layers of the squeegee stock, said liner being arranged to pass over said'cylinder, a pair of horizontally arranged fixed guide supports, guide elements supporting the ends of said cylinder, said guide elements being slidably supported on'said supports, means 2. In a tire building machine having a rotat able tire assembly drum, means for feeding squeegee stock to a partially built tire carried by said drum, said means comprising a rotatably mounted cylinder positioned adjacent and parallel to said drum, a supply roll of squeegee stock having a liner interposed between adjacent layers of the squeegee stock, said liner being arranged to pass over said cylinder, a pair of horizontally arranged fixed guide supports, guide elements supporting the ends of said cylinder, said guide elements being slidably supported on saidsupports, means for bodily moving said guide elements toward said drum relative to said guide supports to provide driving engagement between the partially built. tire on said drum and the liner carried by said cylinder, whereby said drum dur ing its rotation causes the liner and squeegee stock to be unwound from the roll and the squeegee stock. to be fed to the partially built tire and means for locking. said cylinder against Withdrawal from said drum during operation thereof.

3. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire assembly drum, means for feeding squeegee stock .to, a partially built tire carried by said drum, said means comprising a rotatably mounted cylinder positioned adjacent and parallel to said drum, a supply roll of squeegee stock having a liner interposed between adjacent layers of the squeegee stock, said liner being arranged to pass over said cylinder, a pair of horizontally arranged fixed guide supports, guide elements supporting the'ends of said cylinder,-said guide elements being slidably supported on said supports, means for bodily moving said guide elementstoward said drum relative tosai-d guide supports to provide driving engagement between the partially built tire on said drum and the liner carried by said cylinder, whereby said drumduring its rotation causes the liner and squeegee stock to be unwound from the roll and the squeegee stock to be fed to the partially built tire, means for creating pressure between said cylinder and the partially built tire on said drum, and means for locking said cylinder against withdrawal from said drum during operation thereof.

4. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire assembly drum, cylinder means engageable with a partially built tire carried by said drum for feeding squeegee stock to the partially built tire, said means including a fixed frame having spaced horizontal side guides thereon, a pair of spaced rack bars slidably mounted on said guides, a drive cylinder rotatably mounted at the ends of said rack bars, a fixed rotatable gear having meshed engagement with one of said rack bars, and means for rotating said gear whereby to move said cylinder toward and away from said drum.

5. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire assembly drum, cylinder means engageable with a partially built tire carried by said drum for feeding squeegee stock to the partially built tire, said means including a frame having spaced side guides thereon, a pair of spaced rack bars slidably mounted on said guides, a drive cylinder rotatably mounted at the ends of said rack bars, a fixed rotatable shaft, gears rigidly secured to said shaft and in meshing engagement with said rack bars, and a. weight eccentrically mounted on said shaft whereby when said weight is moved about the axis of said shaft to rotate said shaft said cylinder is moved toward and away fromv said drum.

6. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire building drum, means for feeding stock to a tire carcass carried by said drum, comprising a stationary framework, a cylinder support movably supported on said framework, a

freely rotatable stock supporting cylinder mounted on said support, and intermeshed gear and rack teeth carried by said framework and cylinder support for moving said cylinder into engagement with said drum for rotation thereby, whereby to feed tire stock to said drum.

7. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire building drum, means for feeding stock to a tire carcass carried by said drum, comprising a stationary framework, a cylinder support movably supported on said framework, a freely rotatable stock supporting cylinder mounted on said support, a rack carried by said support, and a rotatable gear carried by said framework and intermeshed with said rack for moving said cylinder into engagement with said drum for rotation thereby, whereby to feed tire stock to said drum.

8. In a tire building machine having a rotatable tire building drum, means for feeding stock to a tire carcass carried by said drum, comprising a stationary framework, a cylinder support movably supported on said framework, a freely rotatable stock supporting cylinder mounted on said support, a rack carried by said support, and a rotatable gear carried by said framework and intermeshed with said rack for moving said cylinder into engagement with said drum for rotation thereby, whereby to feed tire stock to said drum, said framework including a pivoted arm engageable with said rack to prevent inadvertent movement of said cylinder away from said drum during rotation of said cylinder by said drum.

WALTER JAMES BRETH.

MAX LEO ENGLER. 

